My thoughts on email etiquette and some other stuff :)

How many times have we all furiously written and quick email pressed send and put very little thought into it. For me that is how I pretty much always send an email. But did you know there is actually such think as email etiquette? Besides several of the common rules which I hope most of you know, like never send credit card information via email or usernames and passwords, there were a few rule that I had never considered to be rules before. For instance you should never keep sending emails back and forth just simply pressing reply leaving all the old messages copied below the new one. I do this way to much. Its not proper etiquette to just leave the messages pasted there in the bottom. Who would have thought? The next rule on the list that left me feeling guilty was the proper use of spelling, punctuation and capitalization. Now I know this is a pretty common rule and we all should know better, but how many of use are guilty of using our "text" lingo in am email. Or often times simply not proof reading, leaving out commas, and no capitalizing. With how often we as a society use technology you'd think wed have these simple rule engraved in our minds. Looks like we need to take a little more time to educate ourselves and the proper use of the technology that rules our lives. At least I know I do!!!

Case Study

If your looking for the quickest way to get on the bad side of Country Star Dave Carroll just try breaking his 3000 dollar guitar. That’s exactly how United Airlines ended up on the wrong side of a public battle with this popular country artist. On March 31, 2008 at Chicago O’Hare airport, Carroll watched powerlessly from inside the plane as his $3,500 Taylor guitar was tossed around by United Airlines baggage handlers. Carroll contacted United after the incident in hopes of receiving compensation but soon discovered he would receive nothing but denial of responsibility and resistance. Carroll tried for several months to negotiate fair compensation with the airline but after several failed attempts he decided to teach United a lesson they’d never forget. Writing about the incident, Carroll collaborated with Curve Productions to record and release the first of three music videos designed to expose United for its lack of concern and customer service.

The first video, released July 6, 2009, “United Breaks Guitars” received 300,000 views in just two days. In just the next few days the video went from a few hundred thousand hits to several million. United could no longer ignore the incident and tried to offer Carroll compensation but only after the airline reportedly lost its stockholders over 180 million dollars. United had already lost this battle and I’m sure were regretting the decision for not responding earlier.

From a PR stand point United clearly dropped the ball on this issue. Aside from the fact that customer service should be more of a priority at the airline, United really ignored the potential negative outcomes from denying this seemingly famous customer his request. As a public relations profession it is your job to always consider every potential outcome of a companies decision. Failing to recognize the negative publicity this denial could potentially cause was a major oversight. After several request from Carroll for compensation United should have weighed its pros and cons more carefully. With such a large platform to speak from, United, should have anticipated the amount of exposure Carroll could give this issue. Not to mention the fact that it was reported Carroll informed the airlines of what he planned to do if he did not receive compensation, giving United yet again another opportunity to put a stop to the problem.

Carroll on the other hand handled the situation great. He addressed the situation without necessarily defaming or trashing the airline. He felt the need to inform the public of the problem he had with the airline in hopes of preventing others from enduring the same disaster. Also Carroll tried for several months to make other negotiations with the airline but was continually denied, leaving him no other choice but to take matters into his own hands. Given hindsight I guarantee United would address and resolved this customer complaint right from the start. Guess that’s just another lesson learned, Better luck next time United!

Letter To Cousin

Dear Sisi,

It was so nice to get a letter from you. I am glad to hear your doing well. I was excited to hear you’re interested in majoring in Public Relations. It is a great major and opens lots of doors for different careers in the future. To answer some of your questions let me tell you just a little bit about a public relations professional and what their responsibilities are.

Public relations area of expertise focuses in the managing and maintaining of ones public image, whether it’s for a company, non profit organization or an individual person. It is up to us as public relations professional to follow the trends, research our public and tailor our messages for the particular media we are dealing with. It is up to us to help the organization we are working for establish good relationships with the public.

As public relations professionals, it is essential that we understand our main responsibilities on the job. Some of these responsibilities include learning to analyze trends, predicating their consequences and counseling with our organization leaders. This job not only requires knowledge in this particular field but requires and broad educational background. Good judgment in necessary for a successful career in this field as there are no set guideline of right and wrong when it comes to public relations. It is essential that in this profession we are not only able to simply communicate our companies views to the public but be able to communicate the views of the public to our company.

Public Relations is a great field to get started in, the variety of jobs and opportunities are endless. I am excited to continue learning more about it and hopefully soon gain some hands on experience in the field. I hope this helped answer some of your question. Hope to hear from you again soon.

Sincerely,

Stephanie